Funding is requested to continue the training of individuals for careers in cancer research. Predoctoral trainees are Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. candidates who conduct cancer related thesis research at the Wistar Institute in partial fulfillment of the Ph.D. requirements of the University of Pennsylvania. Postdoctoral training is designed to prepare individuals for independent research careers in cancer-related areas in basic research and clinical settings. The program is devoted to laboratory research training that is complemented by a biweekly Research in Progress Series, a weekly cancer- focused Wistar Institute Lecture Series, a biweekly Cancer Biology Journal Club, a yearly Cancer Biology Retreat, a Cancer Biology Lecture Course, a yearly seminar series in Grant Proposal Planning and Preparation and yearly training in The Responsible Conduct of Research. Trainees also actively participate in other relevant lectures series and national and international conferences. The proposed trainers head 21 independent laboratories from the three programs at the Wistar Institute; Gene Expression and Regulation, Molecular and Cellular Oncogenesis and Immunology. Trainers participate in all training program activities including the recruitment into the program of Underrepresented Minorities. The trainers in the program share a common interest in cancer research and together cover both basic and translational aspects. A unique feature of the program is that it is unusually interactive and collaborative resulting in many program projects and collaborative publications involving trainers and trainees both within and between the three institute programs. All participating trainers continually succeed in attracting excellent predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows including URM trainees to participate in the research program described. Each of the participating trainers successfully compete for mostly federal but also non-federal grant support in cancer research with over 62 % of the participating trainers supported by the NCI and the rest of the trainers supported by other cancer- related funding. Altogether, this training program offers training in cutting edge basic cancer research that will prepare the participating trainee for a productive career in science that will advance our understanding of the malignant process. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Funding is requested to continue the training of individuals for careers in cancer research. This training program offers training in cutting edge basic cancer research that will prepare the participating trainees for a productive career in science that will advance our understanding of the malignant process.